Individualized Major (BA)

On This Page

Components of a Gallatin Education
The Structure of a Four-Year Program
Degree Requirements
Study in the Other Schools of NYU
Global Study
Civic Engagement
Internships and Other Learning Opportunities
Student-Directed Learning
Accelerated Bachelor's-Master's Tracks
Admissions

Components of a Gallatin Education

Gallatin students develop individualized concentrations under the guidance of the School’s advisers, take core courses within Gallatin as well as courses in the other Schools of NYU, expand their knowledge by pursuing global study opportunities, cultivate experiential and self-directed educational opportunities outside of the classroom, engage with civic life both on campus and in greater New York City, and draw together all that they have learned in the senior colloquium, a final oral examination.

The Structure of a Four-Year Program

Gallatin undergraduates mark their progress by fulfilling a set of carefully defined expectations during each year of study.

Degree Requirements

Students follow the degree requirements in effect during the first semester in which they matriculate at Gallatin. In an Intellectual Autobiography and Plan for Concentration (IAPC), they articulate the academic plans which they will refine over the course of their undergraduate academic career. Students consult with their advisers to develop a concentration, a program of study organized around a theme, problem, activity, period of history, area of the world or some central idea. At the end of their final year of study, they synthesize various learning experiences by engaging their senior colloquium, an integrated discussion of several books and themes, from classical to modern, and reflect on their Gallatin concentration.

Study in the Other Schools of NYU

Gallatin students may take courses in most of the schools, departments, and programs of NYU--sometimes referred to as cross-school study. Each semester there are several hundred courses to choose from, many taught by some of the country’s leading research scholars and teachers. While Gallatin students must comply with each school’s policies about prerequisites and requirements, including restrictions in particular programs, the opportunity to take courses throughout the University enables them to develop a unique, interdisciplinary program of study.

Global Study

To expand their academic and cultural horizons, Gallatin students may take advantage of several forms of global learning that range from individual travel courses to summer courses to semester and year-long study away programs.

Civic Engagement

The School supports innovative and collaborative models of learning that reflect active participation in the communities outside our classrooms; the development of scholarship that is directly useful for practitioners, as well as other scholars; and a self-reflexive, critical analysis of ourselves and our place in civil society.

Internships and Other Learning Opportunities

A key part of the Gallatin curriculum, experiential learning bridges the gap between the classroom and the outside world. From global study to internships to courses in the Community Learning program, students are given the opportunity to combine community-based action with intensive reflection, to explore the relation between theory and practice and to develop skills and knowledge that will contribute to social change as well as to intellectual, personal, and professional growth.

Student-Directed Learning

Gallatin offers students an opportunity to pursue their interests through a variety of alternatives outside the traditional classroom: independent study, tutorials, private lessons, and senior project. The faculty encourage students to use these learning formats when appropriate.

Accelerated Bachelor's-Master's Tracks

Gallatin offers students the possibility of completing the bachelor's degree and specific master's degrees in five years by taking graduate-level courses while enrolled in the undergraduate program. These accelerated programs are designed for academically strong students with an equally strong commitment to the specific areas of study. The options currently available to Gallatin students are:

Admissions

New York University's Office of Undergraduate Admissions supports the application process for all undergraduate programs at NYU. For additional information about undergraduate admissions, including application requirements, see How to Apply.

On This Page

Program Requirements
Information about Program Requirements
Additional Study Options

Program Requirements

Course List
Course	Title	Credits
Gallatin Core Requirements
First-Year Interdisciplinary Seminar		4
First-Year Writing Seminar		4
First-Year Research Seminar		4
Interdisciplinary Seminars		16
Intellectual Autobiography & Plan for Concentration (IAPC)		0
Colloquium (Rationale & List of Works)		0
Remaining core credits may be taken in additional Gallatin courses: interdisciplinary seminars, advanced writing courses, arts workshops, practicum courses, global and travel courses, global programs, and nonclassroom courses (independent studies, tutorials, internships, and private lessons).		4
Liberal Arts Requirement:
Humanities		8
Social Science		8
Mathematics or Science		4
Historical & Cultural Requirement:
Premodern		4
Early Modern		4
Global Cultures		4
Critical Race Studies		4
Other Courses		44-60
Total Credits		128

Information about Program Requirements

Undergraduate Core Requirement

The Core comprises both credit-bearing (32 credits) and non-credit bearing requirements.

Gallatin Courses

Students must complete 32 credits in Gallatin School courses, all of which contain the letters “UG” in the course subject area. In fulfilling this requirement, students must earn 4 credits in the *First-Year Interdisciplinary Seminar, 4 credits in *First-Year Writing Seminar, 4 credits in *First-Year or Transfer Student Research Seminar, and 16 credits in interdisciplinary seminars. Any remaining credits may be taken in other Gallatin curricular offerings, including additional interdisciplinary seminars, advanced writing courses; arts workshops; practicum courses; global and travel courses, and individualized projects (independent studies, tutorials, internships, and private lessons).

Please Note:

The First-Year Interdisciplinary Seminar counts as an interdisciplinary seminar; thus first-year students who have completed a First-Year Interdisciplinary Seminar are only required to complete 12 credits in Interdisciplinary Seminars.
Students may not take the First-Year Interdisciplinary Seminar, First-Year Writing Seminar, First-Year Research Seminar or the Transfer Student Research Seminar on a pass/fail basis.

For Transfer Students:

Transfer students who enter with 32 or more credits may substitute another Gallatin interdisciplinary seminar for the First-Year Interdisciplinary Seminar.
Transfer students may satisfy the required First-Year Writing Seminar and First-Year Research Seminar with approved expository writing courses from other schools; this substitution does not reduce the required 32 credits in Gallatin courses.
Transfer students who must complete one or both seminars in Gallatin should consult with their transfer adviser.

Intellectual Autobiography and Plan for Concentration

Students are required to write a two- to three-page essay called the Intellectual Autobiography and Plan for Concentration by the end of the semester in which they complete the 64th credit toward the B.A. degree. Students who transfer into Gallatin with 64 credits must complete this requirement during their first semester at Gallatin (deadline: summer/fall admits – November 1; spring admits – April 1). Students write the essay in consultation with their adviser, and the essay must be approved by the adviser.

This essay has several purposes. First, students are expected to compose an intellectual history that describes the trajectory of their interests and education thus far. Second, students are asked to frame a plan for future study, including classroom course work and individualized projects. In constructing this essay, students should describe their educational experiences, the central idea or ideas informing their concentration, and the course work relevant to their concentration. Finally, this essay should be understood as an opportunity for students to reflect on how they learn as individuals and to consider what they find academically interesting and worthwhile.

For more information about this topic, see Intellectual Autobiography and Plan for Concentration.

Senior Colloquium (Rationale and List of Works)

Students must successfully complete a final oral examination called the Colloquium, to occur preferably during the penultimate semester of the senior year. The Colloquium is an intellectual conversation between the student, the student’s primary faculty adviser, and one other member of the faculty about a selection of works representing several academic disciplines and historical periods. Under certain circumstances, a third committee member (an additional faculty member) can be included.

Both the Rationale and List of Works serve as the main focus of the discussion in the Colloquium. Students are required to submit (1) a five- to eight-page adviser-approved Rationale about the topic or topics to be discussed in the Colloquium and (2) a List of Works consisting of 20-25 works representing several academic disciplines and historical periods related to the theme or themes described in the Rationale. The Rationale and the List of Works must be formally approved by the student’s adviser, who may opt to request a second review by another member of the Gallatin faculty.

For more information on this topic see Colloquium and Rationale and List of Works web pages.

Liberal Arts Requirement

All students must complete the Liberal Arts requirement, which is distributed as follows: 8 credits in the Humanities; 8 credits in the Social Sciences; and 4 credits in either Mathematics or Science.

Liberal Arts Course Policies

Some Liberal Arts courses may also satisfy one of the Historical & Cultural requirements, and/or the Critical Race Studies requirement (for example, a course may satisfy the Humanities area of the Liberal Arts requirement, as well as the Early Modern area of the Historical & Cultural requirement, as well as the Critical Race Studies requirement). In this example, three requirements would be satisfied by the completion of a single course.
To fulfill the Liberal Arts requirement, students may take courses in Gallatin, as well as in several departments and programs in other schools of the University. A list of Gallatin interdisciplinary seminars that may be counted toward the Liberal Arts requirement is available on the Gallatin Courses page. A list of other NYU departments and courses that satisfy an area of the Liberal Arts requirement is available on the NYU Courses that Fulfill Gallatin Requirements page.
Please note that the following Gallatin courses do not fulfill any area of the Liberal Arts requirements: Individualized projects, including independent studies, tutorials, etc. (INDIV-UG), First-year program courses, including first-year interdisciplinary seminars and first-year writing and research seminars (FIRST-UG), Advanced writing courses (WRTNG-UG), Arts Workshops (ARTS-UG), Community Learning courses (CLI-UG), Practicums (PRACT-UG).
Courses taken to fulfill the Liberal Arts requirement may not be taken on a pass/fail basis. After admission, transfer students' prior coursework will be evaluated to determine which, if any, of the Liberal Arts requirements they have fulfilled. AP course credit/unit and credits earned from other similar programs may not be used to fulfill the Liberal Arts requirement.

Historical & Cultural Requirement

This requirement is designed to help students think historically—and culturally---about their concentration work. To that end, students are required to take at least 4 credits of coursework in the 'Premodern' period, 4 credits in the 'Early Modern' period, and 4 credits in ‘Global Cultures’ for a total of 12 credits. While some courses may satisfy multiple areas of the Historical & Cultural requirement (i.e. Global Cultures and Premodern), one course cannot be used to fulfill more than one area of the requirement (in this example, either Global Cultures or Premodern, but not both).

Pre-modern Period

The 'pre-modern' period traditionally extends from the world of antiquity, from the earliest records of human civilization up to the emergence of early modern social, political, and technological regimes (14th-16th centuries CE). It is common to include under this vast temporal umbrella such disparate phenomena as the ancient civilizations of the Mediterranean, the Middle East and South Asia; the societies and cultures of the European 'Middle Ages'; the Mayan and Incan civilizations of South and Central America; pre-Ming dynasty China; the Umayyad and Abbasid Caliphates of the Middle East, north Africa, and Spain. Students of the pre-modern world might expect to study (among many possibilities) Classical Greek philosophy and drama, Ancient Mediterranean wisdom Literature, Epic poetry and romance, the interplay of oral and written cultures, the Han legacy in the East, the Roman legacy in the West, heresy and the institutionalization of religion, the rise of Islam, crusade, the flourishing of scientific learning at Baghdad and Cordoba.

For a course to fill the pre-modern requirement, at least half of the semester's coursework should focus on this historical period. Courses that use this historical period as foundation or context for later historical periods do not fill this requirement.

**It is important to understand that 'pre-modern' and 'early modern' are categories created by Western scholars to describe cultural, political, social, and economic differences across vast periods of time. For this reason, these categories are not fixed, and they vary across disciplines and geographic regions. In other words, while the terms 'pre-modern' and 'early modern' can be useful for exploring the diversity and development of ideas across time, they also invite debate, discussion, and interrogation.

Early Modern Period

The 'early modern' period is understood to begin in many regions around the 14th century, and to continue to the 18th century, or, depending on geographic region, to the late 18th or 19th century CE. It describes the era from the invention of the printing press to the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, from the early contact of European explorers with the Americas to the American Revolution. It marks the beginning of world exploration and the expansion of world trade, the beginning of a global economic system; and the beginning of European colonialism, including the Atlantic Slave trade. It is common to associate this period with, for some examples, the European Renaissance, the Ottoman Empire, the Tokugawa Shogunate in Japan, the Ming and Qing Dynasties in China, colonial Latin America, the colonial and early revolutionary culture of the United States.

For a course to fill the Early Modern requirement, at least half of the semester's coursework should focus on this historical period. Courses that use this historical period as foundation or context for later historical periods do not fill this requirement.

Historical & Cultural Course Policies

Some Historical & Cultural courses courses may also satisfy one of the Liberal Arts requirements, and/or the Critical Race Studies requirement (for example, a course may satisfy the Early Modern area of the Historical & Cultural requirement, as well as the Humanities area of the Liberal Arts requirement, as well as the Critical Race Studies requirement). In this example, three requirements would be satisfied by the completion of a single course.
To fulfill this requirement, students may take courses in Gallatin, as well as several other NYU departments and programs. A list of Gallatin interdisciplinary seminars that may be counted toward the Historical & Cultural requirement is available on the Gallatin Courses page. A list of other NYU departments and courses that satisfy the Historical & Cultural requirement is available on the NYU Courses that Fulfill Gallatin Requirements page.
Please note that the following Gallatin courses do not fulfill any area of the Historical & Cultural requirements: Individualized projects, including independent studies, tutorials, etc. (INDIV-UG), First-year program courses, including first-year interdisciplinary seminars and first-year writing and research seminars (FIRST-UG), Advanced writing courses (WRTNG-UG), Arts Workshops (ARTS-UG), Practicums (PRACT-UG).
Courses taken to fulfill the Historical & Cultural requirement may not be taken on a pass/fail basis. After admission, transfer students' prior coursework will be evaluated to determine which, if any, of the Historical & Cultural requirements they have fulfilled. AP course credit/unit and credits earned from other similar programs may not be used to fulfill the Historical & Cultural requirement.
Courses taken to fulfill the Historical & Cultural requirement may not be taken on a pass/fail basis. After admission, transfer students' prior coursework will be evaluated to determine which, if any, of the Historical & Cultural requirements they have fulfilled. AP course credit/unit and credits earned from other similar programs may not be used to fulfill the Historical & Cultural requirement.

Critical Race Studies Requirement

The Critical Race Studies 4-credit requirement is met by classes, across disciplines and intellectual traditions, that foreground race/racism and structures and practices that produce them. These classes will help students better understand how to unpack the racial grammar, sometimes visible and often latent, that shapes and constricts “knowledge” in different domains about that theme. This may entail focusing on how the legacies of racial and colonial violence have given rise to “common sense” notions about race, naturalizing uneven distributions of power, resources, cultural worth, and life chances.

Courses meeting this requirement address how modern race/racism emerged and attend to the flexibility and adaptability of ruling ideas about race in the U.S. and transnationally. Some courses allow students to examine how seemingly group-specific racial ideologies change across time and place, with attention to the ways in which racial thinking has led to dispossession, elimination, and social deaths of others. Other courses focus on decolonizing movements and cultures that have envisioned marginalized peoples as sources of social transformation and liberation. Regardless of their specific topics, courses meeting this requirement help students develop their concentrations by situating different ways of knowing in relation to historical and contemporary maps of racial power and privilege, local and/or global. Courses may examine political economies, cultural production, scientific knowledge, and people’s understanding of themselves and others.

Students must take (at least) 4 credits of coursework to fulfill this requirement. For a course to fulfill the Critical Race Studies requirement, at least half (seven weeks) of the semester’s coursework should focus explicitly on the above.

Critical Race Studies Course Policies

Some Critical Race Studies courses may also satisfy one of the Liberal Arts requirements and/or one of the Historical & Cultural requirements (for example, a course may satisfy the Critical Race Studies requirement, and the Humanities area of the Liberal Arts requirement, and the Early Modern area of the Historical & Cultural requirement). In this example, three requirements would be satisfied by the completion of a single course.
To fulfill the Critical Race Studies requirement, students may take courses in Gallatin, as well as in several departments and programs in other schools of the University. A list of Gallatin interdisciplinary seminars that may be counted toward the Critical Race Studies requirement is available on the Gallatin Courses page. A list of other NYU departments and courses that satisfy an area of the Critical Race Studies requirement is available on the NYU Courses that Fulfill Gallatin Requirements page.
Please note that the following Gallatin courses do not fulfill the Critical Race Studies requirement: Individualized projects, including independent studies, tutorials, etc. (INDIV-UG), First-year program courses, including first-year interdisciplinary seminars and first-year writing and research seminars (FIRST-UG), and Practicums (PRACT-UG).
Courses taken to fulfill the Critical Race Studies requirement may not be taken on a pass/fail basis. After admission, transfer students' prior coursework will be evaluated to determine if the Critical Race Studies requirement could be fulfilled by a transfer course. AP course credit/unit and credits earned from other similar programs may not be used to fulfill the Critical Race Studies requirement.

Other Courses

Courses listed as "Other Courses" may be additional Gallatin courses, or may be courses offered by other NYU programs. For more information on other NYU courses that may be open to Gallatin students, see NYU Academic Departments and Programs.

Additional Study Options

Independent Study

An independent study provides students with the opportunity to work one-on-one with a faculty member on a particular topic or creative project. Often the idea for an independent study arises in a course; for example, in a seminar on early 20th-century American history, a student may develop an interest in the Harlem Renaissance and ask the instructor to supervise an independent study focused exclusively on this topic during the next semester. Students may also develop creative projects in areas such as, but not limited to, music composition, filmmaking, or fiction writing. For more information visit the Independent Study Proposal Guidelines web page.

Independent Study Policies

Students are required to submit an Independent Study Proposal form by the published deadline listed for each semester. Students who cannot meet this deadline are advised to register for a classroom course in place of the independent study, and may submit the proposal for a future semester.
The Gallatin Independent Study course (INDIV-UG 1901 Independent Study) is offered at the Washington Square campus only. Remote independent studies are not permitted. (NOTE: Students who will be studying at one of the NYU global locations may not enroll in the standard Gallatin Independent Study option (INDIV-UG 1901 Independent Study). Students are permitted to take only the courses listed in the NYU global site course offerings. Please consult the specific site course offerings by linking to the site page from the Studying Abroad website.)
Individualized Projects (Independent Study and Tutorial) may be conducted during the Fall, Spring, and Summer terms. No Individualized Projects are allowed in January term.
Generally, the work for an independent study should be comparable to a Gallatin classroom course. See the Independent Study Proposal Guidelines for specific instructions regarding requirements. The specific format of the work will be determined by the student and the instructor who will evaluate it. They may choose several short papers, or a longer paper written in sections as the work progresses and depending on the nature of the study, video productions, paintings or music productions may be appropriate. The work for the study should be submitted according to the schedule of due dates agreed upon at the outset, and as with a classroom course, late work may be penalized.
Independent studies may be taken for two, three or four credits. The number of credits determines the number of readings and amount of work assigned. See the Independent Study Proposal Guidelines for specific requirements. (NOTE: Independent Study-Colloquium Preparation may be taken for two credits only.)
Only instructors employed by NYU can be the instructor for a Gallatin Independent Study. All instructors must be located at the Washington Square campus.
Independent studies are graded with letter grades (A through F). (NOTE: Independent Study-Colloquium Preparation is graded Pass-Fail only.)
The independent study proposal cannot duplicate an existing class, nor can a student take a course as an independent study, unless there is a valid exception. If an NYU course exists that covers the content of a student's proposed independent study, the student is expected to enroll in the NYU class.
Meeting spaces for an Independent Study are identified and secured by the student and/or instructor. Please note that personal spaces (i.e. an apartment or dorm room) are not suitable. It is recommended that the instructor or student book an NYU space through Bobst Library.
The Gallatin program is designed for a careful balance between independent and classroom experience. Undergraduate students may therefore register for no more than 8 credits per semester in any combination of Independent Study and/or Tutorial.
Students enrolled in another NYU school are generally not permitted to apply for a Gallatin Independent Study. In rare instances a student from another NYU school might be able to take a Gallatin Independent Study with a Gallatin professor. In all cases, students should contact KatheAnn Joseph for more information.
Students are expected to adhere to the proposal submission deadline. The completed independent study proposal consists of:

adviser’s approval
instructor’s approval
completed proposal form
description of the study
readings
written work to be evaluated
syllabus

Please note that independent studies do not fulfill any area of the liberal arts requirement, the historical and cultural requirement, or the critical race studies requirement.

Tutorial

Tutorials are small groups of two to five students working closely with a faculty member on a common topic, project, or skill. Tutorials are student-generated projects, and like independent studies, ideas for tutorials typically follow from questions raised in a particular course. Students may collaborate on creative projects as well. Students work together with the instructor to formulate the structure of the tutorial, the details of which are described in the tutorial proposal and submitted to the Faculty Committee on Individualized Studies for review and approval. The tutorial group meets regularly throughout the semester, and students follow a common syllabus: all participants complete the same readings, write papers on similar topics, etc. At the end of the semester all students are evaluated by the instructor and assigned a letter grade (A through F). For more information visit the Tutorial Proposal Guidelines web page.

Tutorial Proposal Guidelines

Tutorial Policies

Students are required to submit a Tutorial Proposal form by the published deadline listed for each semester. Students who cannot meet this deadline are advised to register for a classroom course in place of the tutorial, and may submit the proposal for a future semester.
Individualized projects (Tutorial and Independent Study) may be conducted during the Fall, Spring, and Summer terms. No individualized projects are allowed in January term.
Generally, the work for a tutorial should be comparable to a Gallatin classroom course. See the Tutorial Proposal Guidelines for specific instructions regarding requirements. The specific format of the work will be determined by the students and the instructor who will evaluate it. They may choose several short papers, or a longer paper written in sections as the work progresses and depending on the nature of the study, video productions, paintings or music productions may be appropriate. The work for the study should be submitted according to the schedule of due dates agreed upon at the outset, and as with a classroom course, late work may be penalized.
Tutorial groups must include at least two students, but no more than a total of five students. At least two members of a Tutorial group must be Gallatin students.
Only instructors employed by NYU can be the instructor for a Gallatin Tutorial. All instructors must be located at the Washington Square campus.
Tutorials may be taken for two, three or four credits. The number of credits determines the number of readings and amount of work assigned. See the Tutorial Proposal Guidelines for specific requirements.
All students enrolled in the same tutorial must register for the same number of credits and follow the same syllabus.
Tutorials are graded with letter grades (A through F).
Meeting spaces for a Tutorial are identified and secured by the students and/or instructor. Please note that personal spaces (i.e. an apartment or dorm room) are not suitable. It is recommended that the instructor or one of the students book an NYU space through Bobst Library.
The Gallatin program is designed for a careful balance between independent and classroom experience. Undergraduate students may therefore register for no more than 8 credits per semester in any combination of Independent Study and/or Tutorial.
The Gallatin Tutorial course (INDIV-UG 1925) is offered at the Washington Square campus only. Remote tutorials are not permitted. (NOTE: Students studying at NYU global sites may not enroll in the standard Gallatin Tutorial option (INDIV-UG 1925). Please consult the specific site course offerings by linking to the site page from the Studying Abroad website.)
Students enrolled in another NYU school might be permitted to join an existing Gallatin Tutorial. In all cases, students enrolled in other NYU schools should contact Kathe Ann Joseph for more information.
Students are expected to adhere to the proposal submission deadline. The completed tutorial proposal consists of:
- Advisor's Approval
- Instructor's Approval
- Completed Proposal Form
- Description of the Study
- Readings
- Written Work to Be Evaluated
- Syllabus
Please note that tutorials do not fulfill any area of the liberal arts requirement or the historical and cultural requirement, or the critical race studies requirement.

Senior Project

The Senior Project is a semester-long, four-unit, intensive independent research and/or creative project that students work on under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Projects often, although not always, take on themes or questions with which students engage in their colloquium or rationale, and they attempt to make a new scholarly or artistic contribution to their fields. Examples of Senior Projects include a paper based on original research, a written assessment of a community-learning initiative, or an artistic project (such as design-based work, art exhibit, or theatrical production) accompanied by an analytic essay (comprising artistic background, aims, and technique). They may also take other forms, depending on the student’s interests and abilities.

Students who have had their rationale approved and have completed or scheduled their colloquium by the application deadline in their first semester of their senior year may apply to do a Senior Project in the second semester of their senior year. The crucial question the Senior Project Committee asks is whether it will be possible for the student to complete the proposed project to a high standard in a semester. Thus the proposal should show that the student is well prepared for the project and has considered the tight timeline for completing it. Students who complete the best senior projects, as judged by the committee, will receive Gallatin honors (which are distinct from Latin or University honors, which are based solely on class rank as determined by GPA).

Senior Projects are distinct from Independent Studies in their selection, expectations, and potential to earn Honors; students whose Senior Project proposals are unsuccessful may consider scaling back their projects and pursuing them as Independent Studies. All questions about the Senior Project should be directed to the student's Senior Class Adviser.

For more information visit the Senior Project web page.

Internship

Through internships, students gain hands-on work experience and develop skills and knowledge that may lead to employment. Internships are credit-bearing work experiences in non-classroom environments that enable students to learn experientially at cultural and community-based institutions, social justice organizations, and private companies. Internships provide an opportunity for students to explore connections between academic ideas and professional experiences.

Internships are available in a variety of fields, including business, education, film, journalism, legal services, fashion and the Arts. Successful internships held by students have included:

Designing Web pages for an Internet start-up
Conducting a survey on housing conditions for a local community organization
Writing, editing, and publishing articles for a print magazine
Collaborating with designers to create infographics for large companies

Internship Requirements & Policies

All internships must be approved by the Gallatin School. To receive School approval, students must:

obtain approval from their adviser;
complete a Gallatin Internship Proposal form;
submit a confirmation letter from the onsite supervisor; and
complete a learning contract.

Gallatin internships require that students:

write reflective essays about their internships throughout the semester;
meet periodically with their adviser to submit their reflections and to discuss their work and learning;
attend a School-sponsored workshop if it's the first time taking a credit-bearing internship;
produce and submit a mid-term progress report;
complete a final project for your academic adviser; and
obtain a performance evaluation from the onsite supervisor.

Students may enroll in as many as (but no more than) four internship credits per semester (fall, spring or summer). The number of credits is determined by the number of academic requirements the student and the adviser agree upon. Students must work a minimum of 8-10 hours a week at the placement site over the course of the semester. Students admitted to the Gallatin School in Summer 2015 and later may take a maximum of 24 credits in internship during their studies at the Gallatin School.

Gallatin: Internship Requirements
Number of Units	Proposal and Learning Contract Required	Number of Relections Required per Semester	Mid-term Progress Report Required	Final Project Requirements
1-2; (8-10 hours of work per week minimum)	yes	3-4; reflections may include multi-media projects, informational interviews, and work samples with description	yes	Final Project: Extended Essay (5-7 pages), which may contain multi-media elements, or Short creative work + brief description
3-4; (8-10 hours of work per week minimum)	yes	5-7; reflections may include multi-media projects, informational interviews, and work samples with description	yes	Final Project: Research Paper (10-15 pages), which may contain multi-media elements, or Creative work + brief description

All undergraduate internships are graded Pass/Fail, except for Embedded Internships, which are affiliated with select Gallatin courses. For regular internships, the faculty adviser assigns the final grade, which is based on the student's meetings with the faculty adviser, the progress report, the reflections, and the written work, as well as the supervisor’s performance evaluation.

Students should be reminded that because internships are credit-bearing non-classroom courses, tuition and fees for an internship course are generated in the same way as those for a classroom course. This means tuition and fees for an internship are based on the number of credits for the internship course.

Note: Students interested in conducting an Internship who will be studying at one of the thirteen NYU global locations must consult the global site course offerings to see if this option is available at the site. Students studying at NYU global sites may not enroll in the standard Gallatin Internship option (INDIV-UG 1801). Please consult the specific site course offerings by linking to the site page from the Studying Abroad website.

Specific information about the Gallatin Internship requirements are available on the Gallatin Internship website

Private Lessons

Private lessons permit students to earn academic credit for their studies at performing or visual arts studios in the metropolitan area. By studying with professional, New York City-based artist/teachers, students are offered the opportunity to learn and perfect their craft. Private lessons are available in a variety of areas such as voice, music, dance, acting, and the visual arts. Unlike private lessons offered elsewhere in the University, in Gallatin private lessons are arranged and paid for by the student.

Private lessons require the approval of both the student's adviser and the Gallatin School. The student must submit the studio's brochure, (or the instructor's resume or curriculum vitae), before they can register for the course. Studios and instructors must meet the criteria of the Gallatin School.

Upon finding an appropriate studio or instructor, it is the student's responsibility to make arrangements for the lessons, including the schedule of lessons, registration for the course, and payment to the studio or instructor. Please note: The student is responsible for full payment to the studio or instructor for the cost of the lessons, as well as to New York University for the tuition expenses incurred by the number of private lesson course credits. In addition, any payment arrangements with the studio or instructor must be made by the student. The number of credits for private lessons will be determined by the number of instruction hours per semester. The student must provide Gallatin with all details of the arranged lessons on the proposal form.

Student Responsibilities

In addition to taking private lessons, the student has two other responsibilities:

During the semester, the student must keep a daily or weekly journal which describes the student's studio work and artistic progress in the lessons.
At the end of the semester, the student must submit a two to three-page evaluative paper, developed from the journal. The paper is an artistic self-assessment documenting the student’s path of development over the course of the semester and should:
1. describe and summarize the nature of the work undertaken and the overall experience;
2. analyze how the private lesson training contributed to the student’s overall educational goals for the semester; and
3. discuss how it has prepared the student for the next level of artistic work.

Private Lessons Policies

Undergraduate students may not take more than 24 credits in private lessons during their studies at the Gallatin School. Included in this total will be credits earned from Gallatin Private Lessons (INDIV-UG 1701) as well as credits earned from Steinhardt music courses noted as “individual instruction in the performing arts” (e.g., Participation in NYU Orchestra, Vocal Training (Private Lessons), etc.).
Students who will be studying at one of the thirteen NYU global locations may not enroll in the standard Gallatin Private Lessons option (INDIV-UG 1701). Students are permitted to take only the courses listed in the NYU global site course offerings. Please consult the specific site course offerings by linking to the site page from the Studying Abroad website.

For more information, see Private Lessons.

Sample Plan of Study

Below is one of many possible configurations for a plan of study for the Gallatin BA degree. Students may opt to take more or fewer credits throughout the semesters, but should be aware that completion of 32 credits per year ensures the completion of 128 credits in four years.

Courses listed below as "Other Course" may be additional Gallatin courses, or may be courses offered by other NYU programs. For more information on other NYU courses that may be open to Gallatin students, see NYU Academic Departments and Programs.

Plan of Study Grid
1st Semester/Term		Credits
First-Year Interdisciplinary Seminar		4
First-Year Writing Seminar		4
Other Course ¹		4
Other Course ¹		4
	Credits	16
2nd Semester/Term
First-Year Research Seminar		4
Other Course ¹		4
Other Course ¹		4
Math/Science (Gallatin course or other NYU course)		4
	Credits	16
3rd Semester/Term
Gallatin Interdisciplinary Seminar		4
Social Science (Gallatin course or other NYU course)		4
Critical Race Studies (Gallatin course or other NYU course)		4
Other Course ¹		4
	Credits	16
4th Semester/Term
Gallatin Interdisciplinary Seminar (Global Cultures)		4
Humanities (Gallatin course or other NYU course)		4
Other Course ¹		4
Other Course ¹		4
Intellectual Autobiography & Plan for Concentration		0
	Credits	16
5th Semester/Term
Gallatin Interdisciplinary Seminar (Premodern)		4
Gallatin Interdisciplinary Seminar (Humanities)		4
Other Course ¹		4
Other Course ¹		4
	Credits	16
6th Semester/Term
Gallatin Interdisciplinary Seminar (Early Modern)		4
Social Science (Gallatin course or other NYU course)		4
Other Course ¹		4
Other Course ¹		4
	Credits	16
7th Semester/Term
Gallatin Elective (Independent Study or Internship)		4
Other Course ¹		4
Other Course ¹		4
Other Course ¹		4
	Credits	16
8th Semester/Term
INDIV-UG 1905	Senior Project	4
Other Course ¹		4
Other Course ¹		4
Other Course ¹		4
Colloquium		0
	Credits	16
	Total Credits	128

¹: This course may be selected from Gallatin's curriculum or from another NYU department.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will:

Learn how to forge their various and sometimes disparate intellectual and/or artistic interests into an individualized program of inquiry and learning that comprises their concentration. Student concentrations should demonstrate breadth, depth and coherence.
Gain proficiency in oral and written communication. They learn to write clear and well-developed analytical prose that reflects careful and complex thinking.
Learn the critical analysis of ideas, themes and texts from major historical, cultural, scientific and philosophical traditions.
Learn to become active learners in the classroom and to probe the relationship between the material they study in the classroom and the worlds outside of it – in the city and in the world beyond, in the domain of work beyond the classroom and in the professions they seek to enter.
Learn to approach their own lines of inquiry with creativity and rigor, which transcend traditional disciplinary and professional categories and via the conception and execution of individualized and innovative projects.

Policies

On This Page

Program Policies
NYU Policies
Gallatin Academic Policies

Program Policies

Classroom Credit Requirement

Students must complete at least 64 credits in classroom courses. Transfer credits from college courses generally count toward this 64-unit requirement, but independent study, tutorial, internship, and private lesson credits do not.

Graduate Course Credit for Undergraduates

The policy listed below may not apply to students taking graduate-level courses that count toward Gallatin's Accelerated BA-Master's programs. Students enrolled in a Gallatin Accelerated BA-Master's program should read the policy governing the graduate-level courses that count toward their specific program. Students can link to the policies from the Accelerated BA-Master's programs web page

Some graduate courses at NYU are open to undergraduate students, and students may register for these classes on Albert after receiving adviser approval. For all other graduate courses, students must request permission from both their adviser and the department offering the course before being permitted to register.

Graduate courses count toward the 128 credits required for the BA degree, and the grades for these courses will be factored into the final GPA for the BA degree. Students should be aware that courses counting toward the BA degree cannot also be used to count toward a future advanced degree. Undergraduate students who are taking a graduate-level course that is not needed for the BA degree may request to exclude this course from their undergraduate program, which will prevent the course credits from counting toward the 128-unit requirement, and will exclude the grade from the semester and final GPA calculation. Requests to exclude graduate-level courses from counting toward the BA program must be made at the time of registration. Graduate-level courses that are excluded from the undergraduate program are available for future evaluation by another degree-granting program. Students can contact Gallatin's Office of Student Services for more information about excluding a graduate-level course from their undergraduate program. (Note: Gallatin undergraduate students who are participating in the BA-MA in Bioethics program, must request that graduate-level required Bioethics courses taken during the undergraduate program be excluded from counting toward the BA degree.)

For graduates of Gallatin's BA program, 6 credits earned in graduate-level courses may be applied toward the Gallatin School MA program as transfer credit, providing that the credits earned are in excess of those used to meet the requirements for the undergraduate degree. Students must request that their course work be reserved for graduate credit at the time that they register for these courses. The transfer of credit is not automatic, and all courses must adhere to the transfer credit policies of the MA program.

Maximum Credit Limitations

Business Courses Maximum Credits

No more than 31 credits in business courses can count towards the Gallatin BA degree. This includes, but is not limited to: all courses in the Stern School; business courses in the School of Professional Studies, Tandon School of Engineering, NYU Shanghai, and NYU Abu Dhabi; and business courses transferred from other colleges and universities.

Internship Maximum Credit

Students may take a maximum of 24 credits in internship during their studies at the Gallatin School.

Maximum Attempted Credits

Students are expected to satisfy all degree requirements and thus graduate in the semester in which they complete 128 credits. If unusual circumstances require additional course work in excess of 145 credits, the student may file a Petition to request permission to take extra credits for one additional semester only.

No student may attempt or earn more than 168 credits. This limit itself is a rarity--a student may reach it only through receiving approval via a Petition.

Maximum Credits Per Term

Students may register for a maximum of 18 credits per fall or spring semester, a maximum of 8 credits per six-week summer session, and a maximum of 4 credits for a two- or three-week intensive session (i.e., January or summer). Students may request permission to exceed this load, provided they have at least a 3.0 GPA, no incomplete or NR grades, and adviser approval. First-year students, students who do not meet the GPA requirement, and students with grades of incomplete and NR from previous semesters will be permitted to exceed the ordinary credit maximum only in rare circumstances. Students enrolling for more than 18 credits in fall or spring will be assessed additional tuition charges (see the website of the Office of the Bursar for additional tuition and fee charges).

Private Lessons Maximum Credits

Undergraduate students may take a maximum of 24 credits in private lessons during their studies at the Gallatin School. Included in this total will be credits earned from Gallatin Private Lessons (INDIV-UG 1701) as well as credits earned from Steinhardt music courses noted as “individual instruction in the performing arts” (e.g., Participation in NYU Orchestra, Vocal Training (Private Lessons), etc.).

Transfer Credit Maximum

A student may apply a maximum of 64 transfer credits toward the Gallatin degree. Included in this maximum are all credits earned prior to admission to Gallatin (including Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, Maturity Exam Certificate, etc.) and any non-NYU credits a student may be approved to take after matriculation at Gallatin. Please note: all Gallatin degree candidates must complete a minimum of 64 credits after matriculation at Gallatin and must satisfy all other degree requirements.

For more information about transfer credit, please see Transfer Credit and Articulation Agreements

Petitions and Appeals

Students may petition to waive a rule or policy by submitting a Petition form, available by contacting Gallatin’s Office of Academic Support at gallatin.academicsupport@nyu.edu. In any case in which a student wishes to appeal a petition decision, the student may provide further information and request reconsideration of the decision in a letter of appeal to the Associate Dean.

Repeating Courses

Most courses may be taken one time only for credit toward the BA, unless the course has been approved to be repeated for credit.

Students seeking to improve their grade point average may retake a course that has not been approved as repeatable for credit. While both instances of the course and the grades for each will appear on the transcript:

only the later of the two grades will be computed in the grade point average, and
if credit was given the first time the course was taken, the student will not receive additional credit when the course is repeated.

Students should also be aware that certain graduate schools will count both grades in the average.

Total Credits and Time Limit for Completion of the Bachelor's Degree

To be eligible for the Bachelor of Arts degree, students must complete 128 credits and all degree requirements within 10 years of matriculating at Gallatin. A minimum of 64 credits must be completed after matriculation at Gallatin. Students are expected to satisfy all degree requirements and thus graduate in the semester in which they complete 128 credits. If unusual circumstances require additional course work in excess of 145 credits, the student may file a Petition to request permission to take extra credits for one additional semester only.

No student may attempt or earn more than 168 credits. This limit itself is a rarity--a student may reach it only through receiving approval via a Petition.

Students who are readmitted after an extended absence from NYU will have their records evaluated upon readmission to determine the remaining time permitted to complete the degree.

NYU Policies

University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages.

Gallatin Academic Policies

For a full list of school-specific related academic policies, please see the Gallatin School of Individualized Study Academic Programs page.